Captured By The Beasts

Chapter |One|Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy

It was true. I was lucky to have been chosen. The university had secured a grant for one of us to study a rare species of wolf; one that had been sighted in the faraway state of Whitehaven, and I was the successful candidate. They would provide all the necessary equipment as well as food and lodging. When the information pack came during the previous weekend, I obsessively scoured through it. I decided to run a Google search to see if it would bring up a street view, but each time that I tried, the location wasn't recognized. This place was so remote that there weren't even any news articles available.

"I know, I've never been as far as Spain before," I muttered in response. "I've always wanted to travel to America. Now my dream is becoming a reality." I clapped my hands with excitement.

My mother was concerned about me traveling alone, which didn't ease my anxiety. As much as I craved my independence, I was nervous about taking this giant leap by myself, and it surprised me when my professor informed me that there was only one place available. It would have been nice to have a companion. I knew Joanne was disappointed, and to be honest, I was too. I wish she was sharing this experience with me because this would be the longest time that we have ever spent apart.

"There you are, girls," my dad chimed as he rushed towards us.

My mother was hot on his heels, as were Joanne's parents. They were all bleary-eyed after shedding proud tears of joy during the ceremony.

"Let's get some pictures," Joanne's dad, Gordon, urged.

"Just the girls first, then we'll do one with the mums, then the dads, and then finish with a group photo," Gordon directed, organizing things.

I posed beside Joanne, both giving our best smiles before our mothers ambushed us.
After he went snap-happy, Gordon passed around the camera, allowing us all to view our pictures on the digital screen. My smile faltered as I witnessed the unfiltered reality of a bog-standard image.

Where was a Snapchat filter when you needed one?

"This is one of the proudest moments of my life," my dad, Arron, gushed with pride. "The other times were marrying you, Fiona, and of course, when you were born," he said, as he pinched my flushed cheek.
I cringed, baring my teeth.

"Shall we go to The Smoke House for dinner?" I suggested.

That was mine and Joanna's favorite restaurant, and I wanted us to enjoy one last meal together before I leave for the summer. I would be gone for twelve weeks. That would mean three long months of missing everybody. I wasn't going to hold my breath that they would have sufficient WIFI out in the sticks. It would be just my luck to be given a carrier pigeon to send messages back and forth.

"We've never been there, have we, Gordon?" Joanne's mum, Norah asked.

Gordon pressed his lips together as he thought. "Isn't that the one that serves cowboy food?"

"That's the one," Joanne replied, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Dad. Cowboy food." She chortled.

"I bet our Izzy will get to experience the real deal over the pond," my dad added, "Real cowboy food." He beamed.

Dad had always wanted to go to America, and experience how cowboys lived. He loved watching old western films and often wondered what it would be like to ride on horseback. Whenever he watched an old film on television, he would comment on how his lifelong dream was to sit and eat food that had been cooked on an open bonfire, ride through the wild west, and sleep under the stars. The equestrian center a half a mile down the road from us didn't quite cut it in comparison.